Oh triathlon season, how I’ve longed for your sweet embrace. I’ve missed the feeling of cutting through the water during the swim. I’ve yearned for the wind to caress my back as Cecelia and I fly through the bike. I’ve ached to feel the bittersweet burn and pure exhaustion of running several miles. The excitement of the new triathlon season can not be contained…or so I thought!
On the morning of the J-Hawk triathlon I was debating the possibility of not racing. The weather report was for 25mph winds, rainy skies, and a cool 42 degrees. I was not looking forward to coming out of the water to have the FREEZING cold air nip my poor, pasty winter skin! I urged myself out of bed and went downstairs to see my parents. I expressed my concerns about the weather conditions in which I was going to race…My dad contemplated my worries…. the proceeded to call me a baby and told me to suck it up! Thanks dad…using this tough love, name calling as my motivation, I decided that he was right and that if other people could race, so could I. We packed up and headed out to Whitewater, WI at 6:00am.
Once we arrived, I registered and I found out my start time wasn’t until 11:45…WHOA! Holy Cow…I liked the sound of that! To bad we didn’t know my start time was going to be that late, or else we wouldn’t have gotten there at 7:30…Since I had such a late start time, we filled it with a family breakfast.
We arrived back at the race site and I began to set up my race transitions. Over the winter, I had purchased a beautiful set of race wheels: Bongtrager Aeolus 7 in the front and Aeolus 9 in the rear, also known as Fast and Furious. I was very excited to use them in a race that was not a TT. However, this would bite me in the butt in only a few short hours.
Race time!
I thought my swim went pretty well. I felt strong and felt like I was moving through the water at a quick pace. I found out that I was not. This years swim was slower then the previous year. But then, last year I didn’t have to grab a towel and dry off before I headed out the door to the transition area to fend off hypothermia. I know that this doesn’t make up for entire time difference, but I does account for some of it… at least that’s what I’m telling myself so I feel better.
After drying off some, I ran outside to the bitter cold air to begin my transition. I put on long pants, a jacket, and a pair of winter riding gloves. this turned a :30 transition into a 2:30min transition. I do not regret any of it, because I would have turned blue and miserable if I had not taken the extra time to dress like an Eskimo.
At first, the bike did not seem bad. I was actually cruising along at a pretty good pace. But then it happened… The safety and comfort of the trees that sheltered me from the awful wind, was thinning. One by one they disappeared until they were totally gone. They left me to either become a survivor of these horrible hurricane-esque wind conditions or to become a quitter. Now this is where I realized I go through the stages of grief while competing.
This wind isn’t so bad, I can totally handle this! There is no way I could blow over! I’m over thinking these wind conditions. I’ve had worse. I am keeping this awesome pace that’s 30watts above my average!
Stage 2- Anger
Are you freaking kidding me?! Mother Nature you are one cruel, bitch mother. I hope you crawl in a hole and die! Who do you think you are making these wind conditions so furious? Did someone piss you off? I bet your date from last week never called you back. Is that it? So your taking it out on us poor triathletes? WTF?!?!
Stage 3- Bargaining
Okay, Mother Nature. If you slow these winds down just a little bit, just a teeny tiny bit… I will recycle everything I possibly can. I will ride my bike everywhere and only use “green” materials. I swear it! I just don’t want to die a painful death from crashing into the road head first. If you can help me through this wind you have created, I promise I will be the most eco-friendly person ever!
Stage 4-Depression
I can’t believe I’m actually doing this. I should just stop now. What’s the point of continuing on? I should just end this race now. There’s no point. Why am I even racing in the first place? Stupid, stupid, STUPID! I’m never going to finish. I’m going to crash and end up in a ditch on the side of the road and Cecilia will be smashed to smithereens. Why Me!?! Why this race?!?
Stage 5- Acceptance
Well, Mother Nature, you seem to have NOT heard my request to stop the wind. So we are in this together. I am going to show you who’s boss. I will complete this race and make your winds look like they have no effect on me! Besides, it’ll make me that much stronger! So take that. Here you thought you were going to give me a challenge that I would not be able to complete. Well, guess what. I’m going to do it and look good doing it!
That was my bike leg in the nut shell. Praying that I did not crash took up a large portion of my motivating self talk I engage in while on my bike.
After the bike, there was the run (as usual). I transitioned fairly quickly, then got right into the groove of a 5k pace.
The J-Hawks 5k is off road and on grass or dirt for the vast majority of the run. This is something that I’m not use to and that slows me down a bit.
At the start of the run I saw my dad and he asked how the bike was. I told him he could have my wheels (which I renamed “Holy” and “Shit”) and that I never wanted to see them again.
The run consisted of a few steep hills on the course, which did burn, but I got through them without a problem. I felt really strong on this run and completed it with a 1:xx min faster pace then the previous year. I was a happy camper with that. My parents also stated that I look much stronger while I was running! All the hard working I had been doing was worth it.
The results were in. I placed first in my age group and third overall female. All in all, I am glad I decided to race, didn’t quit during the bike and completed the first tri of the season. It should be all up hill from here, right?
Now for my big announcement: I will be going away to Lees-McRae College in North Carolina. I was awarded a scholarship in academics and one for cycling. The cycling team will be a great way for me to attain my Athletic Training degree and pursue my dreams of becoming a professional athlete. I will continue to ride for ABD when I am home from school.
katrinathebeast 